From August 21-24, 2024, the 4th Global Vietnamese Overseas Conference and the 2024 Forum for Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad were held in Hanoi. The event was attended by representatives of leaders from ministries, sectors, and central agencies, along with 400 overseas Vietnamese from over 40 countries and territories. The conference theme was: “Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Propose Solutions for the Country’s Green and Sustainable Development,” featuring four specialized sessions: “Overseas Vietnamese and Vietnam’s High-Tech Development,” “Overseas Vietnamese Businesses and Entrepreneurs Accompanying the Nation,” “National Great Unity, Association Work, and the Role of Young Overseas Vietnamese Generations,” and “Overseas Vietnamese – Ambassadors of Vietnamese Culture and Language.”
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh takes a commemorative photo with overseas Vietnamese attending the Conference. Photo: Nhat Bac
Previously, the Global Vietnamese Overseas Conference was held three times, in 2009, 2012, and 2016, with the participation of exemplary overseas Vietnamese from many countries and territories, as well as representatives of leaders from ministries, committees, sectors, and mass organizations at the central level and in provinces and cities nationwide. Through these conferences, a forum for in-depth exchange was created between overseas Vietnamese and people across the country on strategic issues related to national construction and defense, as well as matters concerning the development and support of the Vietnamese community abroad. Thanks to these contributions, many policy recommendations from overseas Vietnamese have been acknowledged by domestic functional agencies, leading to timely interventions and support. For instance, new policies in areas such as identification, land, housing, and real estate business have been issued to facilitate overseas Vietnamese returning to live, work, invest, and conduct business in the country, aiming to ensure their rights are equivalent to those of citizens residing domestically.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh speaks at the Conference. Photo: Phuoc Lap
Also at the conference, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh exchanged and shared some thoughts on three main topics: the global and regional situation; Vietnam’s foundational factors, perspectives, achievements, and development orientations; and finally, further promoting the role of the Vietnamese community abroad in the coming period. He emphasized that overseas Vietnamese nationwide are one of the greatest resources in the process of national construction, and that ministries, sectors, and mass organizations will wholeheartedly create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to contribute and develop more strongly.
Currently, in most areas where Vietnamese people reside, associations and organizations have been established to provide mutual support and assistance. Vietnamese business associations, expert associations, and intellectual associations regularly engage in activities connecting with the homeland, forming a widespread network that links Vietnamese people both domestically and abroad. This increasingly affirms their role and position in their host societies. Notably, many Vietnamese have participated in local political systems at various levels; numerous Vietnamese entrepreneurs are listed among the world’s billionaires; and many overseas Vietnamese experts, intellectuals, and artists have been honored with international awards, contributing to the glory and standing of Vietnam. Furthermore, for the first time, some overseas Vietnamese associations participated with domestic agencies in chairing and managing specialized sessions on high-tech fields such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. This demonstrates the proactive and positive role of overseas Vietnamese, not only as beneficiaries of policies but also as active agents in implementing work related to overseas Vietnamese.
Delegates from the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts in Denmark (AVIDE) attend the Conference. Photo: Phuoc Lap
At this year’s Conference, Denmark was represented by the Association of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts in Denmark (AVIDE), with four members of its Executive Board participating. Throughout the Conference, the members listened and gained an understanding of the State’s development strategies for the coming years, enabling them to participate and orient their development accordingly. Furthermore, in their capacity as an association of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals abroad, AVIDE members engaged with other participating delegates in the region to learn from their experiences and guide the association’s future development.
The 4th Global Vietnamese Overseas Conference and the 2024 Forum for Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad once again demonstrated their significance and role in connecting overseas Vietnamese with people across the country. Through the conference, relationships between individuals and organizations were further strengthened, creating conditions and opening up numerous opportunities for cooperation and development among all participants. This further affirms the State’s concern for the lives of its citizens abroad and envisions a future of cohesion and shared development for the Vietnamese community, no matter where they are.
Author: Chau Gia Bao
